Nigro Saag

During weekends I love to visit Machhamarket to collect fish and green vegetables ,they are cheaper in comparision to other Sabji Mandi in Govindpuri.Sometimes,I select poi sag for bhaji ,chalta tenga for pickle during lunch and magur fish for curry but nigro also add a good flavor with dal ,bhat ,tarkari,achar and masu.The shops in Kalimati or mandi in Kalimati also provide nigro in good quantity but rural areas visit also gives me opportunity to have negro grown in own forest areas and saute in local mustard oil nigro creates magic in mouth.

Nigro is the young shoots of edible ferns which resembles the spiral end of a fiddle for which, is it also known as fiddlehead ferns. One of the most popular food items in Nepal, it mostly grows around mid-April. A popular green leaf vegetable, it is quite common in the Nepali market during spring.  Nigro mostly grows in the the jungles, shady swamps, riverbanks and damp fields. It is mostly brought from the market, however, mostly in Terai region, it is collected from the home garden.

The word nigro or neuro was derived from the word niurinu which means ‘to bend’ in Nepali language. It needs to be plucked out before the shoot grows into feather-like leaves which is quite inedible due to its taste. Before cooking, the nigros need to be cleaned properly so that its  fuzzy covering is removed. Here is one of the ways of cooking nigro ko tarkari: 

Ingredients:

Nigro (fiddlehead ferns), thyme seeds, cooking oil, salt, fenugreek, fresh green or dried red chili and tomatoes (optional).

Procedure:

First of all, clean the ferns properly and break it into one and half inch long sticks. When done, heat a sauce pan and add oil to it. When the oil is heated, break or slice the chili into half (lengthwise) and after five seconds, splatter fenugreek and thyme seeds. When the seeds starts to crackle, put the nigro into it and stir fry it. Keep dry frying it, stirring at certain interval until the stems are tender. Add salt to your taste and mix thoroughly so it is mixed evenly throughout. When done, your nigro ko tarkari is ready t o be served with steamed rice or roti.

If you want to add tomatoes, then chop tomatoes in small pieces and add it to the vegetables after cooking it (vegetable) for first ten minutes. Most of the people also mix it with potatoes. In that case, the diced potatoes need to be cooked slightly before putting the vegetable to the sauce pan.